


This City of Tears

by Anonymous



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Angst, Arranged Marriage, Assassination Attempt(s), F/M, M/M, Minor Violence, References to Depression, Serious Injuries, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:21:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28491573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: “Honestly, Sokka,” Aang said calmly when the Water Tribe boy stopped complaining for a moment, “I don’t see the problem. I think you are not being fair to Prince Zuko, I train with him all the time. And he’s really nice! He is not the spoiled prince you think he is.”“But you are the Avatar!” Sokka whispered annoyedly but everyone was too invested in their own conversations to pay any attention to them. “He has to be nice to you. I will just be another guard trailing him everywhere!”Or AU where Sokka and Zuko meet once and fall for each other before Sokka accidentally becomes his bodyguard.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 19
Kudos: 88
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English isn't my first language, I only self-studied it and I will definitely make mistakes no matter how hard I try. Please be patient with me.  
> I am really sleep deprived and have no idea what I am writing I guess

Even after 9 years, it was still strange to see different shades of blues and greens blend in with the bright and eye-catching reds of the Fire Nation Capital City. It wasn’t as common as they hoped to be, the war was still fresh in everyone’s mind after all; the truce they had at first and the promises of a better future with peace and hope that followed quickly after the agreement between the nations was still fragile like holding a songbird between calloused fingers. Yet, the fear of a slip, a disagreement, wasn’t strong enough to hold some of the free and brave spirits back. After all, the war ruled everyone’s life one way or another for years and there were the curious and brave ones who were yearning for adventure and travel, who wanted to take their chances, who wanted to learn, grow and forgive. His sister was one of those people. 

However, it wasn’t always like this for them. He could still remember those times when her little hand would grip his tightly, blue eyes wide with hatred, pain and fear whenever she caught a glimpse of red. But then the Dragon of the West returned from his mysterious travels after the failed siege of Ba Sing Se and he was like a new person. Sokka could still remember the day he was standing next to Hakoda as Bato delivered the message, telling the story of Ozai’s fall. Young Sokka couldn’t grasp the importance of this news back then, he couldn’t understand what it meant for them. Apparently, older brother and former Crown Prince returned to the Capital, taking down his tyrant brother and reclaimed his birthright. Once the terrifying and powerful Fire Lord Ozai was now locked behind the prison bars under the palace like a common criminal, away from Agni’s Light while the rumors had it, his niece was sent to one of the islands for ‘healing’. Bato had a grim expression on his face when he talked about how Ozai infected his children with hatred and abuse but young Sokka had no idea what he meant. 

Thereby, they had time to heal. 9 years ago, Fire Lord Iroh came back to reclaim his throne, ending his brother’s reign of terror, called back his troops, ending the war once and for all. Ever since then, he worked continuously to keep his promise and restore balance and peace around the world. Shortly after Iroh’s accession to the throne, Katara and Sokka found Aang inside an iceberg while working to restore their Tribe and somehow this bright, wide-eyed kid changed everything for the better. Of course, it was hard at first; Aang broke down, he was devastated to find out what happened to his people and to the world while he was ‘gone’. He was only 12 and with Hakoda’s support, Katara and Sokka took care of the terrified and heartbroken Avatar. Thanks to the lack of conflict and the support he received from people around him, Aang regained his hope and desire to serve the world once again. He traveled to the other nations, announcing his return and that he was willing to do whatever necessary to preserve this newfound peace. 

Aang’s good relations with Fire Lord improved the foreign relations amazingly. And that opened a new door to everyone else. Fire Nation has always been good at inventions and education. After the damages war caused, Fire Lord Iroh was determined to restore that part of Fire Nation while offering to share it with the rest of the world as well. He declared to the world that Caldera University was opening its doors to everyone, from any nation, for those who were willing to share their knowledge and their culture to restore the information that was lost during the war. Their education was no longer going to be one-sided. He also granted scholarships to students who were willing to study abroad in Fire Nation Capital. 

Sokka heard this news thanks to their newly improved trade routes but he paid it no mind. He spent those years focusing on new manpower and financial aid Fire Nation provided to the South Water Tribe instead. They were finally rebuilding their tribe and Sokka couldn’t be happier to stand next to his father as they helped their Tribe to become what it was once before the Fire Nation attacked. But as they were growing up, he noticed a change in Katara who was working on her waterbending alongside with the volunteers from North. One night, Katara opened up about her desire to follow Aang during his travels to the other nations. Now that South was growing and gaining its old glory back and Sokka was older, he could understand Katara’s desire to see the rest of the world. He related to that and to Katara’s surprise, agreed with her. So, they traveled to the Earth Kingdom alongside Aang to learn Earth bending. 

But that wasn’t enough anymore. 

Another night, this time in Ba Sing Se, Katara opened up about her desire to learn more about healing while Aang was sleeping next to them. Sokka’s first thought was that Katara wanted to travel to the North to learn more about healing. But Katara shook her head quickly, she already learned what she needed from the healers of their sister tribe. And it was confusing to Sokka because in the South, bending was rare since Fire Lord eliminated all waterbenders except Katara when they were little kids. Sokka grew up sometimes being jealous of his sister’s potential and feeling guilty about it because it also put huge pressure on his sister as the sole waterbender of the South. But he couldn’t understand or imagine why a bender would seek a skill that their bending already provided. He couldn’t understand why Katara was dying to learn different forms of healing when her water could heal many wounds already. Until he did. His sister always had a big heart and a desire to change the world for the better. She wanted to learn to heal the wounds left behind by the war. It was funny because growing up, Katara was always interested in fighting forms of waterbending. She achieved this dream while learning alongside Aang during his waterbending training. But now, the war was over and Katara was granted the title Master and she quickly realized that she still longed for more. It was always nice to be able to fight and defend her Tribe, it filled her with pride but... healing was something else. The look on people’s faces when she healed them or one of their loved ones... she longed for that. She was almost desperate to heal any wound left behind by the war. She wanted to heal the world and gave hope to people like Aang did. 

That felt strange to him at first. Not that he was surprised by his sister’s desire to help, heal and change the world. He knew she was destined for great things even when they were little kids. No, what surprised him was her interest in Iroh’s offer. A scholarship to whoever wanted to learn, teach and study in Fire Nation. At first, Sokka wondered if it was because Aang was planning to travel to the Fire Nation to learn firebending but later he realized that Katara wanted this for herself. It was important to her. 

Well, Sokka wasn’t going to let his sister travel alone to the freaking Fire Nation (even though she wouldn’t be alone, Aang was going, too after all). And to be honest, a part of him felt afraid of being left behind. So, he agreed to go with them. And he expected to be bored at first but Fire Nation was new, bright and interestingly, joyful. Everything was new and exciting for the first few months where Aang started his firebending training with Crown Prince and Katara enrolled in the Caldera University. Aang even accidentally enrolled in a school with his fake identity; Kuzon. It was just... nice to see them both being excited about their new lives and experience normal things in life other than war, pain, and blood. 

Sokka found his own interest quickly after when he met Piandao. The older man was a bit strange, only returned to the Fire Nation Capital after Iroh claimed the throne and he agreed to train royal guards for his old friend. New Fire Lord was at the receiving end of many assassination attempts after ending the war and cutting the main income of several powerful rich families. And they knew Iroh could defend himself but he was constantly worried about the safety of his already traumatized nephew. Piandao accepted the offer. 

That’s why Piandao rejected him when Sokka first knocked on his door. But he decided to spare some time to teach the young boy after Sokka trailed him everywhere for two weeks. Interestingly, Sokka became a full-time student in a short time and Piandao was serious about teaching him the ways of swordsmanship. Piandao wasn’t exactly a father figure but he was a great master and he had a calming effect on Sokka and somehow, he found it easy to open up to the older man while they were practicing. He told his master about his sister, his friend who was definitely _not_ the Avatar, his newfound interest in engineering after visiting a Fire Nation museum, and his undying desire to do something, to work and earn money and just be useful instead of sitting around while Katara and Aang changed the world. 

Piandao advised him to pursue engineering and enroll as a student at Caldera University but he would have to wait another year for that since the academic year already started. Piandao listened to his whining quietly for another week and finally came up with a new idea. 

Piandao told him if he didn’t want to spend another year sitting around, he could find a job for him, at least for a couple of months. Sokka jumped on the offer without asking about the details, he wasn’t lazy or snotty, he did all kinds of works back at home. Piandao placed his warm hand on Sokka’s shoulder, which surprised the young boy, and told him he had absolute trust in him. Sokka was surprised but his chest was filled with pride. He promised his master he wouldn’t disappoint him. That was until he found out that the job was at the palace. Apparently, Piandao talked to Fire Lord Iroh about Royal Guards and Iroh asked him to assign a new student as the Crown Prince’s royal guard. Of course, Sokka heard the news about Fire Lord Iroh’s ‘retirement’. There were talks about him leaving the throne to his nephew, the Crown Prince. During one of their last training sessions, Piandao told him about how Iroh never wanted to become the Fire Lord after his son’s death but he had to take down his brother before he could attack to the Northern Tribe and the Earth Kingdom and his nephew was still so young, only 10, back then. So, he had to take the throne and stabilize the nation until the Prince was old enough to rule the country. 

Apparently, he was now. Sokka wasn’t sure how 19 years old prince could be considered well equipped to rule a powerful and big country like Fire Nation but who was he to question the royals? He had no idea how things were working in the palace. But in 3 months, during the Star Festival, Iroh was going to pass the throne down to his nephew; he believed that a fresh-faced prince with no war crimes written under his name would be essential to heal their nation and preserve the peace around the world instead of the Dragon of the West who tried to burn down Ba Sing Se. While Sokka wasn’t convinced, Piandao surprisingly had so much trust in the Prince’s capabilities, he told Sokka that the time prince spent healing would help their nation to heal as well because the prince _understood_. Sokka didn’t understand what he meant; he wasn’t sure what kind of healing the prince was going through but he trusted Piandao’s judgement. 

And it brought him here; sitting in a crowded izakaya, his elbow uncomfortably bumping into his sister’s as he took a sip from his sake and complained about his newfound job. It was a warm, late summer night, the place was filled with university students and young people, Aang was sitting next to Katara and looking down at their guinomi with a frown on his face. Since the drinking age in Fire Nation was 16, Aang had to stick with lychee juice and it looked like the young monk didn’t mind it all. 

“Honestly, Sokka,” Aang said calmly when the Water Tribe boy stopped complaining for a moment, “I don’t see the problem. I think you are not being fair to Prince Zuko, I train with him all the time. And he’s really nice! He is not the spoiled prince you think he is.” 

“But you are the Avatar!” Sokka whispered annoyedly but everyone was too invested in their own conversations to pay any attention to them. “He has to be nice to you. I will just be another guard trailing him everywhere!” 

“Trust me, when Fire Lord Iroh offered me to train with his nephew, I was skeptical, too. I came here to train with Iroh but he was always busy with Fire Lord work and he promised me his nephew was the perfect teacher for me because he understood my struggles with firebending. And you know what? He was right! Zuko was supposed to be my teacher, I understand that now. And he’s a good teacher, he is patient and understanding and he showed me a different side of firebending. When you meet him, you will understand what I mean.” He lowered his gaze to the table with a frown. “I know people talk behind his back sometimes, calling him cold and distant and... empty.” He looked up to meet Sokka’s face with a serious expression. “But trust me, he’s not like that. He is just quiet and reserved. But he cares a lot and he is kind and I believe one day he will make a great Fire Lord.” 

“Yeah, well, that’s great, Aang. But I am not going there to make friends.” Sokka looked down thoughtfully, swirling the sake before taking his last sip and placing the empty guinomi on the wooden table. A part of him wasn’t sure if he wanted this job and he was waiting for Aang and Katara to join him, telling him there was no way he could work for a spoiled rich brat, so, he could allow them to ‘convince’ him to quit the job before even starting. But Aang was singing praises to the young prince and Katara was encouraging him to give it a chance at least. 

“Sokka, you always complain about having nothing to do except training with Piandao. And clearly, he thinks your training is done otherwise he wouldn’t recommend you, right?” 

Sokka squinted his eyes at Katara suspiciously, it felt like his sister was going to say something very logical that Sokka wasn’t going to like. 

“That means your training is done and to join the University, you will have to wait another year. You have nothing else to do. This is a chance, Sokka. You know, they pay _really_ good to royal guards. While spending some time, you will earn a great amount of money. It’s a win-win situation for you.” 

“I hate it when you make sense.” Sokka groaned. 

“I always do.” Katara answers sweetly. 

“You really are one of the wisest and smartest people I know, Katara.” Aang added, smilingly brightly at his sister. Katara’s eyes softened as she wrapped her fingers around Aang’s. The young monk looked into her blue eyes with a love sick expression that made Sokka feel sick to his stomach. 

“Ugh, you guys are the worst.” He winced. He grabbed the empty guinomi and stood up. “I can’t stand it when you two are being like this.” 

“Like what?” Katara looked up at him with a frown and Sokka was smart enough to know that she wouldn’t hesitate to kick his ass if he said something wrong. 

“Don’t make me say it.” He groaned. “I will get another drink while you are making out.” 

“Hey!” But he didn’t stick around to listen to his sister’s yelling, he walked toward the bar where a middle-aged man was filling empty glasses. Sokka took the empty seat next to someone whose entire body was covered by a dark cloak. Sokka eyed the hooded figure thoughtfully as he ordered another sake. The dark cloth was wrapped around his neck almost protectively, the only visible part of his face was his mouth and he was sipping his drink calmly. Sokka noticed the tip of his sword visible under the cloak. 

“So...” Sokka said because he was tipsy and of course he couldn’t resist starting a conversation. “Are you an assassin or something?” 

He watched the stranger’s hand that was holding his glass frozen in mid-air, head slightly turning toward Sokka. Well, if he was an assassin, maybe Sokka shouldn’t have pointed that out. It would be a shame to be added to his long list of murders, but again, if he died tonight, he wouldn’t need to worry about his new job tomorrow. 

“No?” It almost sounded like a question. His voice was soft, and not murderous or harsh like Sokka would expect from an assassin. Definitely a young male. Maybe around Sokka’s age. 

“Well, you sure could have fooled me!” Sokka grinned at him. After a moment of questioning silence, Sokka pointed at his hip. “Sitting here all mysteriously dressed and with a sword?” 

“I like to be prepared.” He answered easily. Sokka raised an eyebrow playfully. 

“For trouble?” The not-assassin stopped for a moment, the corners of his lips turned up slightly. 

“For trouble.” He nodded. His hood fell back slightly, revealing golden eyes under the dark cloth. He was Fire Nation then. Well, that was no surprise here. 

“My name is Sokka.” He introduced himself easily before taking a sip from his sake. The Fire Boy hesitated for a moment before pushing his hood back, revealing a handsome face under messy black hair and pale skin. He looked uncomfortable under Sokka’s curious gaze but he looked into his blue eyes and found something that Sokka couldn’t understand and relaxed. A small smile appeared on his lips, making him look even prettier under the warm light of fire torches on the wall. 

“I am Lee.” He hesitated before adding. “Your eyes... they are blue. Are you from the colonies?” 

Colonies weren’t _colonies_ anymore. That was one of the reasons Aang traveled between nations so much during last year. While colonies declared their independence after King Kuei and Fire Lord Iroh reached a settlement, some people were still moving from old colonies to Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom. It was a normal question but a part of Sokka wondered for a moment, what was Lee’s stance in this whole international affair? Was he one of those assholes who saw Water Tribe as savages? 

“No.” He answered calmly. “I am from Southern Tribe.” 

Surprisingly, Lee’s smile widened with surprise. 

“Really? I have never met anyone from the Southern Tribe. I met a guy from Northern once but we didn’t get a chance to talk.” He eyed Sokka with open curiosity that carried no malevolence. “The weather must be absolutely different from here. How did it feel when you first came here?” 

“You know what, the funny thing is, when I was a kid, I always wanted to live somewhere warm. Sometimes I hated wearing so many layers and imagined myself sitting on a beach with a cold drink.” Sokka grinned. “When I first stepped a foot in Fire Nation, I hated it. The weather was overwhelming and I had to stop myself from taking off all of my clothes in the middle of the port.” 

Sokka laughed as Lee eyed him shyly, a blush giving color to his pale skin, probably from imagining that scenario. Sokka was tipsy and he had enough relationships to understand the look in Lee’s eyes. The pale boy found him attractive clearly. And maybe Katara was right about his ego because he enjoyed Lee’s frustration and attention but he wasn’t playing with the other boy. He was interested, too. Lee had really beautiful golden eyes. 

“So, why are you here tonight, Lee?” He asked, placing his arm on the back of Lee’s chair. Lee straightened but didn’t pull away when Sokka’s bare arm brushed against the softness of his cloak. It felt warm, soft, and really expensive against Sokka’s skin. “Are you one of the students?” 

“No.” He looked down at his drink. “I-- I just wanted to have a drink. It’s a beautiful night.” 

Sokka’s eyes didn’t leave Lee’s face, tracing every part of his smooth pale skin. Maybe he was getting really drunk because he was thinking about Lee having a cute nose like a weirdo. 

“Beautiful indeed.” He agreed softly. Lee eyed him curiously. They didn’t say anything for a moment and no matter what people said, both Suki and Yue knew that Sokka was not a smooth flirt. Suki told him it was his genuine sweetness that attracted her, otherwise, he was hopeless. But again, he was only 16 when they met, who could have blamed him? But here, after drinking so many glasses of sake, under the warm light of fire torches, Lee looked almost ethereal, there was something so graceful and almost royal about him that reminded Sokka of Yue. Maybe it was the contrast between his golden eyes and pale skin and dark hair or the way he looked at Sokka... He didn’t know why but he felt confident and brave and he couldn’t stop himself from leaning forward. 

Lee didn’t pull back at first, he stayed still like a statue made of stone, he was breathing heavily against Sokka’s lips. Sokka’s blue eyes never left Lee’s golden ones as he leaned forward with the intention of kissing the other boy. 

Then Lee suddenly pulled back with wide eyes, like he just woke up from a dream and couldn’t believe what he was doing. Sokka opened his mouth to apologize but Lee smiled shakily and stood up. 

“I am sorry but I just realized that I am already late.” He reached back and pulled his hood back on, covering half of his face. It felt like a wall was built between them. Sokka leaned back against his chair. “I need to go. I am sorry.” 

And funny thing is, he sounded sincere. It felt like he was desperate to stay and maybe kiss Sokka but something was pulling him back, dragging him away from this place. Sokka couldn’t feel anything other than sadness. 

“Oh.” He mumbled softly, looking down at his hands. “That’s... okay. I understand. Good night, Lee. And take care of yourself.” 

“You, too.” Lee nodded stiffly and left in a hurry. Sokka didn’t move for a while, hands tightly clasped on his lap. He stayed like that until he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and for a stupid moment, he thought Lee came back to at least steal a kiss or something and Sokka hated that thought because it was almost proving his reputation as a flirt but he wasn’t like that. He didn’t go around flirting with strangers and kissing them after meeting them, like, an hour ago. But he didn’t have to worry about any of that because the hand belonged to his sister. 

“Hey, Sokka, are you okay?” Aang was looking at him with wide curious eyes behind Katara. Sokka nodded. 

“Yes, sure. I am fine.” 

“Well, then. We need to leave.” Katara said. “It’s getting late and you need to wake up early tomorrow to go to the palace.” 

“Ugh, I totally forgot about that.” Sokka rubbed his eyes annoyedly as Katara dragged him away from the sound of cheerful and drunk youngsters. 

“How can you even forget about that when you were complaining about it to us half an hour ago?” 

“Well, I was distracted...” Sokka said, avoiding meeting Katara’s eyes. 

“Why?” Aang asked from Katara’s left. “Did something happen?” 

“Don’t tell me you were flirting with one of the students?” Katara had no reason to fill so much judgement in such a short sentence yet here they were. 

“He wasn’t a student!” Sokka argued loudly. Katara raised an eyebrow with a sly grin on her face. Great, he fell for it. 

“Oh, so you met someone.” Sokka hated how his sister could make him blush like this. 

“That’s none of your business.” He glared at her. “I don’t ask you about what you do with Aang.” 

“What’s his name, Sokka?” Aang asked again, changing the subject masterfully. But Aang carried so much innocence that Sokka wasn’t sure he did it on purpose. 

“His name is Lee and I will probably never see him again so can we stop talking about him?” He avoided looking at their stupid grinning faces. Katara laughed cheerfully. 

“Wow, you are really helpless. You sound so disappointed.” She pointed out. “Only you would fall for a guy right after meeting him.” 

“I didn’t-- Can you just stop?!” He hissed. “I just want to get a good night’s sleep before I need to deal with a royal jerk tomorrow.” 

“You know, Sokka,” Aang started, “Zuko isn’t--” 

“Stop talking about Zuko already, ugh!” 

Sokka already forgot about Lee or Zuko as soon as his head hit the pillow and he fell into a deep sleep. Lucky for him, his sister was there to wake him up in the morning so he wouldn’t be late for his first day at the palace. Sokka dragged his feet, trying to prolong his journey to the palace but he knew he couldn’t run away from this and disappoint Piandao after accepting his offer. He should be grateful to his master; this was a good job many would like to have. It paid well, most of the time you did nothing but followed a royal around the palace and tried to stay awake. That was easy, Sokka could do it. 

Captain of the Royal Guards was a tall young woman with thick wavy brown hair and wide dark eyes. Her name was Hya and Sokka felt like he was crushing under her heavy gaze as she walked around him and studied him like he was an elephant-rat. He tried so hard to stop himself from fidgeting. She finally stopped in front of him and nodded at another guard who was standing behind Sokka. 

“So, Piandao sent you?” She asked, hands placed on her hips as her piercing eyes made contact with Sokka’s blue ones. Sokka nervously nodded. 

“Yes. I am one of his students.” 

“As long as Piandao approved you, I have no problems.” She answered coldly. She turned around and signaled him to follow her. He quickly walked after her. 

“I will introduce you to Mina, she will be your partner. Your shifts are together and you will be replacing her former partner, Duan.” Sokka followed her without a question. He couldn’t think of a question anyway, no matter how complicated everything was. He felt like a fish out of water and hated himself for accepting Piandao’s offer in the first place. He wasn’t good for this job. That was a terrible idea. Why did he even think this would be easy? Why did Katara not warn him about his stupid decision?! “Mina will give you a tour and introduce you to Em who will give you your armor and weapon.” 

“No shift today?” Sokka asked weakly. Something about this woman terrified him. Hya looked at him over her shoulder with an unimpressed look. Yes, absolutely terrifying. 

“Not today. You will start tomorrow. How can you do your job if you don’t know your partner, the palace, or even have an armor?” That was a good point and Sokka hated himself for not thinking about it before because under normal circumstances he was a pretty smart guy but, in his defense, he was just so nervous to think about anything other than how nervous he was. 

“And... when will I meet the prince?” Hya chuckled softly. 

“What? You think every newly assigned guard has a tea party with your Highness?” Sokka’s cheeks reddened with shame. Of course, that was absurd, why would Prince care who was protecting him as long as they did their job? “You will meet him, though.” Okay, maybe it wasn’t that absurd. “Tomorrow morning, before your shift. You will swear your loyalty to him.” 

“And...” He gulped forcefully. “How will I do it exactly?” 

“Mina will teach you all you need to know. Come on. Stop stalling.” 

Mina was shorter than Sokka, barely reaching his shoulder but Sokka was very tall compared to most people so, it wasn’t really weird and despite the soft look on her face, Sokka watched the way she walked; he was sure she could beat him in seconds. For some reason, this palace was filled with terrifyingly amazing women. She had short brown hair that reminded him of Suki fondly and she had topaz-brown eyes. She was dressed in dark red and black Royal Guard uniform. She walked around the palace like she owned the place but it probably came from familiarity. She probably walked these halls every day several times. She showed him everything he needed to know, pointed at every room and explained their purpose tirelessly. She talked about the Prince’s usual schedule. She introduced him to Em and waited for Sokka until he found an armor that fit him perfectly. She taught him what he will do tomorrow when he came face to face with the Prince. Sokka’s face fell when he found out other guards or palace staff didn’t have to do the whole ‘swearing loyalty’ thing but they were the royal family’s personal bodyguards in a way so their connection to the person they were protecting was more... personal. 

“So,” Sokka asked finally when their tour came to an end. He wasn’t sure how people actually lived here; his feet were already hurting from walking all around the huge palace. “What is he like?” 

“Who?” Mina asked, raising an eyebrow. She clearly knew who he was talking about but didn’t offer a helping hand. Was this a test? 

“The Crown Prince.” Mina’s eyes softened. 

“He’s nice. You don’t have to worry about him burning you as a punishment or anything.” 

“I wasn’t worried about that!” Sokka almost yelled. “Why would you even say that?!” 

“Well, that was a problem with the previous Fire Lord.” Mina shrugged like she didn’t say anything weird. Sokka looked at her like he thought she was crazy. Maybe he really did. “But Prince Zuko is kind and he is very understanding. Most of the time he spends his days reading or practicing his bending or with swords. He’s usually quiet. He doesn’t ask for much. You don’t have to worry.” 

“So, you like him?” Sokka asked awkwardly as he tried to make conversation. 

“I would die for him.” Mina said calmly. Sokka winced at her answer. 

“Like... because it’s your job or... like...” Mina threw him an unimpressed look. 

“Prince Zuko is the future of Fire Nation; I have no doubt he will make a great Fire Lord. He will be a benevolent leader and our nation will thrive under his rule, I have no doubt.” Her eyes softened as she looked forward. “If something happens to him... that will throw our nation out of balance, we are still in a... It’s still hard, after all those years of fighting. There are a lot of people out there, ready to take advantage of his possible death. That would be bad for us and for the rest of the world. While the peace is nice, it’s still fragile. We can’t let anything happen to him. Do you understand me?” 

Sokka nodded heavily, the seriousness and gravity of his position and job only dawning on him now. Suddenly, it didn’t feel like a stupid job, running after a rich spoiled prince. The peace, the balance and the sake of the world were all indirectly tied to their job. It was an honorable and important duty. One that Sokka was ready to take seriously. 

“I understand.” 

The next morning, he was dressed like a true Royal Guard, shining armor with bright reds and black covering his entire body from neck to his toes. He felt powerful, he stood straight. People were right about uniforms, he felt important and strong and capable. And he loved that feeling. 

Mina greeted him shortly after he arrived at the palace, she dragged him to the second floor, where –Sokka knew from yesterday’s tour— Crown Prince’s chambers were located. Mina asked him if he remembered his lesson from yesterday. Sokka nodded shortly and Mina pushed him toward the closed door. Two guards were standing in front of the door, wearing similar uniforms to Sokka’s. As soon as their eyes landed on Sokka, they opened the door and let him inside without meeting his eyes. Sokka’s heart was beating like crazy in his chest as he stepped inside. The room was empty, all the other doors were closed and Sokka stood there like an idiot for a moment. Not knowing what to do. He was thinking about going back outside and asking the guards when one of the doors opened from the right side of the room and three figures walked inside. One of them was a short, middle-aged man with white hair and a grumpy expression. The other one was an elegant woman who looked slightly older than Sokka himself. 

The third one was standing in the middle of them. He was wearing the Crown Prince’s headpiece on his topknot; he was dressed up in expensive layers of red and black silk. He had pale skin with striking golden eyes and... 

He was Lee. 

Sokka felt his knees shaking as he looked at the Crown Prince with shock written all over his handsome face. Lee – or Zuko? – didn’t look any better. His eyes were widened with surprise. The young woman cleared her throat as a signal to Sokka and looked at him expectedly. Sokka faltered, taking a large step forward and trying to shut his brain up. He struggled to remember what Mina taught him yesterday as he dropped on one knee. His eyes never left Zuko’s golden ones even though Mina told him several times not to look him in the eye while he was kneeling. He couldn’t break the eye contact as Zuko lifted his hand slowly, Sokka wrapping his calloused fingers around Zuko’s long pale ones as he planted the softest kiss on the back of his hand. 

“I pledge my loyalty to the Crown Prince, and to the Fire Nation. I solemnly swear to protect and defend the Crown Prince against all threats with my life. I put my strength, my skills, and my life in your service.” And that was it, despite his confused and shaken state, he managed to memorize every single word Mina repeated to him several times yesterday. Yet, like an idiot, Sokka opened his mouth, Mina’s words from yesterday still echoing in his mind, to add his own words to his oath: “I swear no harm will ever come to you under my watch, my Prince.” 

He was surprised by the sincerity of his own words. 

He didn’t pay attention to the murmurs between the other two in the room, he barely noticed their presence. His eyes were on Zuko, so was his entire attention. His golden eyes softened and a small smile appeared on his lips. He looked almost delicate and fragile like this, despite how capable and strong he looked the other night when he was sitting on that uncomfortable chair with only a sword and a cloak to defend himself. There was a heavy sadness surrounding him, buried under that smile, Sokka noticed that before when they were talking like two ordinary people but it was more apparent now. 

It was with that smile that he knew, he meant every word he said. 

He was not going to let any harm come to him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Star Festival was inspired by Tanabata  
> *Does izakaya feel modern for Atla Universe? Because it was the only word that captured what I was trying to describe  
> *No, Zuko still has his scar, it's not on his face in this story and it will be explained how and why in the next chapter


	2. Chapter 2

He bit the inside of his cheek for the 5th time since his shift started, stopping himself from yawning loudly as he stood in front of the Crown Prince’s chambers alongside Mina. Sokka was slightly bothered by Mina’s lack of frustration which shouldn’t have been a big surprise considering that she has been a Royal Guard for a long time but the perfectionist in him hated facing the fact that he wasn’t initially good at everything. This was something he struggled with since he was a little kid and was trying to learn ice fishing with his father. Sokka’s dreams always revolved around being the perfect son, a fierce warrior and a well-respected chief in the future. Those dreams became more desperate when they found out that Katara was a waterbender. While Katara and Sokka always had a good relationship and Sokka would die for his sister, he was too prideful to not be hurt by his little sister overshadowing him despite all his efforts to prove himself as someone reliable and powerful. It took him some time and a long talk with Hakoda to realize that at the age of a child he was trying to become an adult and his father wanted him to be exactly that, a child. He would have time to grow as a warrior and a leader when the time came. With war being over, Sokka could afford to act like a child. He didn’t have to be like his father when he was barely 13. Hakoda told him about his own childhood and his own struggles, he wasn’t always the wise and strong leader of his tribe. He was a child once, just like Sokka was. 

That conversation helped him to relax a little bit, he felt a pang of guilt for being jealous of his sister because he was so happy for Katara, she could defend and protect herself. She was amazing and powerful and just... just wonderful. Sokka felt so much pride and admiration for his sister who struggled in her own way while trying to keep their family together after their mother’s death and trying to learn waterbending all by herself during their childhood because that was a unique part of their tribe that was forcefully taken from them and she was the last one to carry that legacy until a new waterbender was born in their tiny Tribe. 

Now Sokka’s frustration came from the unexpected hardship of his job. He was used to always _doing_ something and he thought that maybe earning a good amount of money while doing nothing except walking from one room to another after the Prince would be easy but now that was killing him inside! He wanted to move, damn it, he wasn’t a statue, he wanted to sneeze and yawn like a normal person. What was wrong with rich people?! And Sokka couldn’t believe that he was even attracted to such a boring person because all Crown Prince ever did was to stay behind closed doors all day and read. That’s it. Mina mentioned some kind of training during his first day but Sokka didn’t see him train at all since he started the job 5 days ago. When Sokka tried to complain about the lack of action, Mina told him the Crown Prince was under the tutelage of Fire Sages because he was going to rule this nation soon and he wanted to become the best possible leader for his people. And, yeah, maybe that made sense but it didn’t relieve Sokka’s annoyance with the lack of movement. His legs were killing him. 

Seriously, how was Sokka, the comedy and plan guy, attracted to someone who barely spoke, moved or did anything interesting at all? All Zuko ever did was reading, he barely talked to people and when he did his voice was low and soft, lacked all kinds of emotions. Sokka didn’t see the Fire Lord yet but was this how their relationship was as well? That didn’t sound healthy at all. And Zuko was wearing all those heavy layers with gold trims and dark reds contrasting with his pale skin and—Yeah, okay attraction was understandable, apart from the sad aura surrounding him, clouding his eyes, Zuko was _pretty_. Like, people would write to him all those love poems Katara borrowed from the library kind of pretty. Did he imagine it? Was Zuko even the same person as Lee? Oh, shit, did he have split personalities? Did he even remember meeting Sokka? 

No, Zuko definitely remembered him, Sokka could tell the way Zuko’s eyes widened when Sokka kneeled in front of him or the way his eyes stayed on Sokka for a moment when he opened his doors to leave his chambers. But apart from that, Zuko showed no sign of being affected by Sokka’s presence. This hurt a little but Sokka was here to do his job, not to drool over a handsome Prince who probably had several suitors waiting for him anyway. If Sokka told Katara that Lee was actually Prince Zuko, she would lose her damn mind and joke about all the romantic scrolls she’s ever read about charming princes and knights and princesses. 

No. Way. 

It wasn’t anything serious anyway. They barely talked for half an hour and Sokka was just glad that the Prince didn’t punish him for almost kissing him a couple of days ago. Like, was that weird? Sokka wasn’t sure. He thought Zuko was avoiding him at first, he barely looked at him and he only talked to them when he was leaving his chambers in the morning with a quiet ‘good morning’. That was it. Sokka quickly realized that it wasn’t about Zuko being embarrassed for almost kissing a ‘peasant guard’ because he was also like that with Mina and Sokka couldn’t imagine Mina flirting with the prince in an izakaya. 

His nose itched again and Sokka couldn’t stop himself from scrunching his nose. He eyed Mina for a moment, they were standing here for the last 2 hours, waiting for the Prince... to do something. But he was still in his chambers and the hallway was empty. And Sokka was only human. 

_Achoo!_

Sokka opened his eyes, rubbing his itching nose with the back of his hand, it wasn’t his fault that those huge hallways were dusty and depressing. He threw Mina an apologizing look but the older woman wasn’t looking at him, her wide eyes were directed at the door. Sokka turned his head to see what she was looking at because if it was an assassin or something else, she would be moving right n— 

Oh. 

_Oh_. 

Zuko was standing right behind them, his hand still holding the open door. His golden eyes were wide with surprise and for the first time since the day Sokka swore his loyalty to him, their eyes met. He was looking directly into Sokka’s bright blue eyes like he just noticed who his guard was. Sokka gulped, not knowing what to say. Was he supposed to apologize? Or say nothing? Mina never trained him for this but again, this wasn’t supposed to happen. 

Zuko blinked. 

“Umm, may you live long?” Mina raised an eyebrow at Sokka behind Zuko, who was still looking at Sokka with a puzzled expression. What? People never sneezed in the palace? Were they all so... so lifeless like statues? 

“Thanks?” Sokka’s answer was equally filled with questions. Mina frowned at him like a crazy lady over Zuko’s shoulder. Sokka quickly added: “Your Highness.” 

Zuko blinked again, he looked like he just woke up and realized where he was. He quickly turned on his feet and started to walk the same path as always. Sokka and Mina trailed after him to the first floor where the giant library was located. Mina didn’t say anything, of course, she didn’t while they were only one step behind the Crown Prince but she didn’t forget to give him an unimpressed look. Sokka tried to not to dwell on what happened and focused on the back of Zuko’s head... which was a good distraction because now Sokka was thinking about how soft his hair looked and tried to remind himself that he was the Crown Prince and he couldn’t think about him like that. 

They turned to the left quickly as they did every day, random advisors and people greeting the Prince with nods and bows while they passed and Zuko finally entered the library. Unlike his chambers, Mina and Sokka followed him into the library, they guarded the door from the inside. 

Zuko wasn’t interesting or fascinating to watch, as soon as they walked inside, he greeted the librarian quickly and with a low voice, listed the scrolls he needed but often the librarian waited for him with the scrolls already prepared for him on the desk that he always used. Sokka hated that desk it was on the right side of the room and some shelves hid half of the desk which made it hard to keep an eye on the young prince. And no matter how boring their job was because nothing ever happened, Sokka still took it seriously. So did Mina. However, Zuko didn’t appreciate them standing any closer while he was studying for his ‘upcoming grand duty’. As his guards, they had to protect him yet respect his wishes. 

And as always, nothing happened until Sokka realized that his shift was coming to an end. There was a soft knock on the door which alerted both Mina and Sokka as they opened the door from both sides as quietly as possible, to not to alert the prince, Zina and Wuan walked inside and took their places quickly. Mina guided Sokka out and closed the door after themselves. 

Strangely, this was always the weirdest part of the routine for Sokka. While he knew he and Zuko weren’t friends, he met the guy; he knew the shade of his eyes from up-close, length of his lashes, the shapes of his lips and... he just felt like he knew Zuko. And it always felt strange to leave him like that even though they never spoke since that night. Sokka was a social person with a friendly nature, he was raised right by his gran-gran. He said ‘thank you’, ‘you’re welcome’ and ‘good nights’, and ‘good mornings’. A part of him wasn’t used to acting invisible and leaving that room every day without wishing Zuko a pleasant day always felt... rude? Maybe it was because it always felt like no one ever spoke to the guy. He saw several people interacting with him but no one actually spoke to him. 

It was both weird and sad. 

When Sokka entered their cozy house, only a half an hour walk distance from the palace, he was surprised to see Katara sitting on the kitchen table with several scrolls lying on it and Aang standing in front of a pot with a deep frown on his face. He was biting his tongue with a serious concentration and for a moment Sokka expected some spiritual madness to come out of that pot because nothing with Aang was ever simple or easy. 

However, Aang was cooking rice. 

For some reason that was even stranger. 

“You are just in time for dinner, Sokka.” Aang smiled at him brightly when his grey eyes landed on him. Sokka waved at him awkwardly, taking off his armor and shoes. Katara waved at him without taking her eyes off the scroll. She was leaning against it, there was smeared ink on her fingertips and she reached for another one. 

“So, how was your day?” Aang asked as he was filling 3 bowls with rice and roasted komodo chicken. Sokka rolled his eyes and sat across the table from Katara while Aang placed the bowls in front of them. Katara gave a quick smile to Aang and gathered the scrolls, putting them aside. Aang sat on Sokka’s left and started eating. 

“It was okay. Same as usual.” He dug his chopsticks inside the rice and frowned. “Hey, are you sure that guy is even alive? All he does is reading! All-day!” 

“I do read a lot, too.” Katara defended before filling her mouth with rice. Sokka frowned at her. 

“Yeah, you are studying. What _is_ he doing? He is a rich prince, the heir, first in line to the throne. Soon to be the absolute monarch of Fire Nation. Everyone does whatever he says, so why is he working all day?” 

“I don’t think it’s that simple, Sokka.” Aang replied. Sokka shrugged frustratedly. Aang was watching him with curiosity. 

“Why are you so bothered by what he does?” 

“It’s more like what he doesn’t.” Sokka answered. To be honest, even he wasn’t sure why he was so bothered. Something about the way Zuko hid in a dusty room all day and read annoyed him. He was so different from the shy but lively guy he met before he knew he was the Prince. This guy... he felt like a stranger, a shell. Empty. Void. And it annoyed Sokka, maybe because he knew there was more to Zuko yet no one even cared to look at him. Truly look at him. And maybe that’s why Zuko was there that night, to stop being the Prince even for a moment. “He just sits around all day. It’s so boring. I can’t even sneeze!” 

“Oh, poor you.” Katara grinned at him. “Your life is _so_ hard.” 

“Try not moving for an hour and we will talk.” Sokka hissed at his sister and took a bite from komodo chicken. It wasn’t bad at all. Maybe Aang was a more promising chef than Katara was. That would be a nice change. He turned to look at Aang with a raised eyebrow. “And why are you so obsessed with Zuko? It’s almost like you will beg me to like him.” 

“Hey, be nice to Aang.” Katara warned him. Aang shrugged. 

“I... I just hoped you would like him. He’s a nice guy and... there are things you don’t know.” 

“We won’t be friends, Aang.” Sokka said in a soft manner that even surprised him. “I am just a guard. I can’t interact with him.” 

“You are right.” Aang mumbled. “I just hoped... anyway.” 

“You know,” Sokka turned to look at Katara who interrupted their conversation with the clear intention of distracting Aang from whatever made him give them puppy eyes this time, “healing course is so interesting. While I am learning how to heal fatal wounds, I also learn how to kill someone 38 different ways.” She grinned at Sokka threateningly. “Without my bending." 

“I do believe you.” Sokka pointed at her with his chopsticks. “And thanks to that I won’t be able to sleep tonight.” 

For the rest of the meal, Aang and Katara talked softly, mentioning several things from Aang’s training to Katara’s courses and the people they met but Sokka was too distracted to pay attention to them. He finished his meal quietly and stood up. Katara and Aang looked up at him like they just noticed his presence among them. As much as he teased them, Sokka admired their easy and loving relationship. They were perfect for each other. 

“I am going to bed.” He muttered, stretching his sore muscles. 

“See you tomorrow, Sokka.” Aang waved at him happily which was weird because they see each other every day. But Sokka was too tired to question what Aang meant, he sometimes struggled to understand this kid. 

“Uh, sure?” He said with a tired wave at them and went to his room. 

Surprisingly, the next day, when he arrived to the palace, the prince wasn’t in his rooms. Mina grabbed his arm and dragged him toward the garden. Sokka followed her without a question because Mina’s grip on his arm was tight, she knew the schedule and everything better than him and it was still too early for Sokka to use his brain. Mina quickly waved at the late-night shift and Sokka and her took their place, standing close to the doors while keeping a safe distance from the prince. This is the first time Sokka was seeing Zuko without layers of silky robes (or dark cloak that covered almost every part of his body). His robes were neatly folded and placed on a nearby bench, he was bare-chested, his hair was down and almost reaching his chin. His pale skin was almost shining under the morning sun as he moved around like he was dancing. 

Oh, training day then. Finally. 

It wasn’t the kind of action Sokka expected but at least this was better than staying indoors and spending all day hiding inside a library. And Zuko looked good. He looked free and careless and so damn elegant that it almost made Sokka jealous. Sokka watched him with a dry mouth and turned his eyes to meet Mina who was giving him a strange look that made Sokka even more uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to this. Maybe it was because he was attracted to the guy, who knows, but he felt like a creep. Zuko’s training looked so... personal. Like, he wasn’t even aware of their presence. To distract himself, and Mina, he slightly leaned toward her and whispered: 

“Isn’t Fire Nation royals supposed to have long hair?” 

“They do.” Mina said, voice free of any emotions. Sokka raised an eyebrow. 

“Well, maybe someone forgot to mention that to the Prince. How will he wear that damn crown with such short hair?” 

“He wears the crown prince headpiece without a problem.” Mina whispered between her teeth and she seemed annoyed. Sokka wouldn’t know why. “Why do you even care?” 

“It just... seemed strange.” Sokka admitted honestly. Mina’s expression softened, remembering that Sokka wasn’t from the Fire Nation. 

“Let’s just say he doesn’t like his looks with long hair.” 

That sounded stupid to Sokka, not that he didn’t believe Mina but... Zuko would definitely look good with long hair. He didn’t like to admit it often but Zuko was annoyingly gorgeous sometimes. There was something about him that separated him from other people around him because he was surrounded by well-groomed beautiful nobles yet... Zuko’s good looks felt genuine? With his hair down like this, he looked like a normal young man, reminding Sokka of _Lee_. He was still beautiful but he didn’t look like a rare breed bird trapped inside a golden cage, ethereal and untouchable. He was strangled by thick, rick layers of silk robes. And if Zuko had long hair, it would be more fitting for the Agni’s Chosen as the ruler of the Fire Nation. 

That image reminded Sokka of a story he was used to hearing a lot around the South Pole. The story of Malina and Igaluk. It was strange to remember it now out of nowhere because growing up it always made him uncomfortable. But now it reminded him of the first time he saw Zuko. How drawn to him he was. And how useless it would be to chase after him. If he kept looking at Zuko like that he would be Igaluk of this story, chasing after an uncatchable Malina for the rest of his life. Zuko was the sun and Sokka was the moon, he was the prince, Sokka was the guard. There was no common ground for them. 

(But Sokka probably forgot an important part of the story of Igaluk and Malina; every once in a while, those two would meet, catch each other and cherish their union. 

That was the Solar Eclipse.) 

It still made no sense to Sokka, that Zuko would avoid a tradition that his every predecessor followed faithfully, as a fashion choice. Zuko didn’t even seem to care about fashion, he wore what people gave him that day without a question. He didn’t mind his topknot coming undone, black strands falling against his forehead. Mina wasn’t telling something to him but who was Sokka to question her about something that wasn’t any of his business? 

So, he was going to do what he does the best and change the subject with a silly remark or a joke but it was that moment when Zuko finally decided to turn around, black strands sticking to his forehead with sweat but he didn’t look out of breath at all. However, the good view wasn’t what distracted Sokka. 

It was the red mark on his neck that was always hidden behind high collars until today that distracted him. He questioned it before, why Zuko was always wearing high collars in the middle of Fire Nation. It was way too hot for that. Now there was an angry-looking, red mark that covered most of his neck, stretching from the line of his left ear to the right and it looked painful and _terrible_. 

Sokka’s eyes widened as his right hand went to the hilt of his sword. Did someone hurt him under their watch? Mina was alerted by the sudden change of Sokka’s mood, she tensed as she looked around the garden to see what alerted Sokka like this. When her eyes didn’t catch anything, she turned to face Sokka whose wide eyes were still on the prince. 

“What?” She hissed at him to get his attention without alerting the prince who went back to his kata like nothing happened, this time, bending real fire instead of practicing the movements. Sokka forgot about what alerted him for a moment, he knew firebenders. They were the main antagonists of the tales from back home when he was a child. Then he came to the Fire Nation and firebending changed from horror to a form of art with different performers using firebending for street shows. They didn’t burn down villages, destroyed homes and killed mothers. They gave life to different shapes, forms and creatures, dazzling people around them. Then there was Aang who very rarely showed them a new harmless fire trick that the prince taught him. Katara was always encouraging and supportive while Sokka barely paid attention to that but still didn’t hold back praises to encourage young Avatar. 

But Sokka has never seen someone bend fire like this. It came easy to the prince, well-practiced movements flew effortlessly, fire bursting from his feet and hands, not even burning a blade of grass or a leaf. He looked so in peace, so in control of the devastating power of fire that it was the first time Sokka considered firebending beautiful. 

“What?” Mina asked annoyedly again. “What did you see?” 

“There...” Sokka gulped, his mouth was as dry as the Si Wong Desert. “There is a...” He couldn’t find the right words, pointing at his own neck instead. Mina squinted her eyes at him with confusion for a moment before realization dawned on her face. 

“Oh.” She relaxed visibly. It was Sokka who looked confused this time. 

“Did you know?” He asked quickly. “Someone hurt him? Under our watch?” 

“Not under our watch.” Mina reassured him, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. “It’s an old scar.” 

“Old? It still looks pretty... bad.” Sokka didn’t mean it like that, he was just shaken and not sure which was the right word he was looking for. 

“Yeah, well,” Mina’s face hardened, “it was a huge and serious wound.” 

“That bad, huh?” Sokka said broodily. Mina raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Sometimes I forget you aren’t from here.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mina shrugged. 

“It was a huge deal, actually, it’s the reason we are in this situation right now. It changed everything in our nation.” 

“That serious?” Because while it looked really bad, Sokka couldn’t imagine a wound having that impact on the most powerful nation in the world. “What happened? An assassination attempt?” 

Mina looked around uncomfortably for a moment, were they not allowed to talk about it? Sokka’s eyes turned to the young prince who wasn’t aware of the heavy conversation between his two personal guards. 

“This is exactly why Fire Lord Iroh went mad when he returned from his mysterious travels.” She whispered carefully; her shoulders were tense. 

“Because someone hurt his nephew?” Sokka had no nephew (he didn’t even want to imagine that scenario at this point of their life) but he tried to imagine someone hurting Katara or one of the kids from their tribe and of course he could understand why Iroh was pissed off. 

“Not someone.” Mina frowned, a painful look appearing on her face. Sokka was surprised, this was the first time he was seeing usually stoic guard showing so much emotion. “Ozai.” 

Until then, Sokka had no strong opinion on Ozai, yes, he was a terrible tyrant, a horrible man who wanted to burn down the Earth Kingdom and drown the Northern Water Tribe but his reign was short and he barely managed to do any lasting damage to the world. In Sokka’s opinion, Ozai was the last of their problems. Sokka always hated how Sozin and Azulon got away with everything they have done and passed away peacefully while their soldiers murdered countless innocent people and turned their lives into nightmares. At least Ozai was paying the price of his crimes, that chance was lost for Sozin and Azulon. 

Sokka’s heart skipped a beat, eyes turning to the prince once again. He couldn’t help the horrified expression on his face. Mina’s hand tightened around Sokka’s bicep. 

“Don’t freak out.” She hissed. “I am only telling you because you asked and honestly, almost everyone in Fire Nation already knows this story.” 

“His own father did this to him?” Mina gave him an annoyed snort. 

“Trust me, that’s not even the worst part.” 

“Now you are scaring me.” Mina expression became serious again. 

“You should be. That guy, Ozai, he’s not locked under the palace just because he’s family. He’s there because he’s dangerous and cruel and we always need to keep an eye on him.” She broke the eye contact and looked down at her hand on Sokka’s arm, frowning deeper. “There are several stories about that, I was still young back then and clearly wasn’t working here. I am not sure which story is the truth but one thing certain, Ozai has always been cruel to Prince Zuko. So was Princess Azula. But she was just a little kid back then. Old servants say Ozai was embarrassed of Prince Zuko for showing no ambition or a real passion for their goal to conquer the world. They say Ozai was embarrassed of the prince because he wasn’t a powerful bender, which doesn’t seem true now.” She turned her eyes to the young man who was masterfully moving in the huge garden. Yeah, it didn’t seem right. “Whatever the reason was, Ozai had no love for his child. And no patience. He... hurt him a lot, they say. While he was training the boy.” 

“His uncle did nothing when his father was hurting a child?!” Sokka bit his lower lip angrily. 

“Fire Lord Iroh was a general back then, he was barely at the palace. He loved Prince Zuko for sure but he didn’t know much about him probably. Then everything changed when Prince Lu-Ten died during the siege of Ba Sing Se. General Iroh left everything behind and disappeared. No one knows where he went.” 

“Then why did he come back all of a sudden?” Mina looked at him thoughtfully. 

“I remember his return. I was still young but I saw him. My mother used to work at the palace, my family... had Fire Lord Azulon’s support until he died. Then... it doesn’t matter. When Fire Lord Iroh came back, he was a different person. They say he and Ozai argued passionately about the war, the general who tried to break down the walls of Ba Sing Se was suddenly claiming that the war was wrong? It was strange.” 

“A sudden change of heart? How interesting.” Sokka whispered darkly. He didn’t know how he felt about Fire Lord Iroh. Was he a good man or not? He ended the war but some of his actions, even after becoming the Fire Lord, were questionable to Sokka. 

“Then... Iroh realized his nephew wasn’t around.” 

“What?” Mina looked troubled. 

“As I said, no one knows the real reason but something Prince Zuko did pissed off Ozai, he dragged the boy and forced him to kneel in front of everyone in the palace. They say the poor boy begged and apologized to his father continuously but Ozai didn’t care. Apparently, Ozai told him he will learn to submit and wrapped his hand around the boy’s neck and burnt him.” 

“No...” Sokka didn’t have to worry about yelling or losing control because the only thing that left his mouth was this one broken whisper. 

“It was really bad, they say. He almost killed the child. Everyone thought he was dead once Ozai let go of him and he fell like a broken doll.” Mina shuddered, closing her eyes tightly. “He told guards to put him in an isolation chamber.” 

“A what?” 

“We have isolation chambers under the palace, mostly built for really aggressive firebenders. The main goal is to cut their connection to the Agni’s Light, sun. It’s vital for a firebender. I heard some firebenders lost their bending temporarily due to that. Some even claim you can lose your permanently if your _chi_ is damaged due to isolation.” 

“Are you telling me that... his crazy father burnt a 10 years old child and put him in a cell that was built for the worst criminals?” 

“Yes.” Mina looked at him harshly. “That’s exactly what happened. People was sure he died there. But then Fire Lord Iroh came back all of a sudden and when he found out what Ozai did, he went crazy. And I mean _crazy_. No one likes to talk about what happened but those two almost burnt down the entire palace during their fight. Eventually, Fire Lord Iroh took Ozai down and locked him up.” 

“What happened to the Prince?” Mina’s face softened. 

“Iroh brought the best healers to the palace. He was bedridden for 6 months, it took him 2 years to fully heal and start bending again. He struggled with speaking for the first year. But he got better eventually.” She finally let go of Sokka’s arm and turned around to face forward like a real Royal Guard. “But those 6 months were so hard for Fire Lord Iroh. The infection was terrible and healers told him to be prepared for the worst. They didn’t expect a child to recover from a serious injury like that.” 

“But he did.” Mina smiled at Sokka. 

“He did.” Sokka’s hands were still shaking even after the conversation ended, he tried to focus on his job and keep an open eye but he felt nauseous. He was— 

“Hello, Sokka!” He turned around quickly, still shaken by the horrific story that his hand went to his sword but it was just Aang standing in front of Sokka with a wide smile on his face. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Sokka asked him, surprised by his sudden appearance while Mina bowed to Aang respectfully. 

“Avatar Aang.” The young Avatar returned the gesture with the same respect and greeted Mina. Then he turned to Sokka with the same smile illuminating his face. 

“I told you yesterday that we would see each other today?” 

“I thought you meant at home.” Sokka explained with a tired expression. 

“Oh, no. I meant here. This is my training day.” He waved at someone over Sokka’s shoulder and the Water Tribe boy turned around to see the young prince looking at them now. Sokka tried not to look at the scar. 

“See you later, Sokka.” Aang quickly walked to the prince. "Good Morning, Sifu Hotman!” 

Sokka turned to look at Mina who shrugged. 

“Sifu What?” 

Sokka spent the next hours feeling confused and distracted. He was lucky that no bad guy decided to take advantage of his distraction and Mina was a great partner as usual. He just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Sokka always thought that this palace was depressing and huge, he wondered how someone could call this place home. Home was supposed to be something like that cozy place he, Katara and Aang shared, not... this. But now, now he was wondering how Zuko could even live here? How could he live in a place where he was abused, both psychologically and physically, and still call it home? No wonder he always looked so drained and tired. 

He tried to not to stare when Zuko and Aang finally finished the training session and walked toward them. Zuko grabbed his folded robes, still chatting with Aang about something Sokka couldn’t hear. Aang looked genuinely happy and he would never admit it but it warmed Sokka’s heart. As Zuko walked past them, still bare-chested, Sokka caught a glimpse of the scar on his neck. From this close, he could see each fingerprint, forever burned and stamped on his pale skin. He gulped and forced his eyes to turn away. He wasn’t sure if Zuko caught him staring but the prince didn’t say anything as they made their way to his chambers. Zuko gave them a small nod before closing the doors after himself and never left the room again until Sokka’s shift ended. Sokka spent the last couple of hours of his shift, standing in front of his door with a haunted expression on his face. 

Aang fell asleep early that night. He was tired but content and wished them a good night with a huge smile on his face before leaving the table. Sokka drank his tea quietly as his sister studied under the candlelight with a serious expression. It was nice to see Katara being so interested in something. Whenever she found something that she was passionate about, she gave her everything to conquer it. She would work tirelessly until she became the very best at it. Sokka admired his sister’s dedication and hard work. 

“Katara.” He felt guilty for a moment when she looked up at him, he was interrupting her studies because of his stupid inner turmoil. But his sister was eyeing him patiently and it made him slightly feel better. “Do you... do you think I am doing something wrong?” 

“About what?” She frowned. She didn’t look annoyed or angry, just confused. Sokka took a deep breath. 

“I am a Royal Guard at Fire Nation Royal Palace, Katara.” He explained. “I guard the Crown Prince. He will become the next Fire Lord in three months.” 

“And?” She raised an eyebrow at him. Sokka pressed his fingers against his eyes and rubbed tiredly. 

“Fire Nation killed our mother, Katara. And now I am serving them. A Fire Lord ordered his navy to kill our waterbenders and now I am protecting the future Fire Lord.” 

Katara’s curious expression softened as she reached forward to place her hand on Sokka’s. 

“Sokka.” She said his name so softly that Sokka felt hot tears burning his eyes. While losing his mother was a huge blow to young Sokka, his sister had to grow up so quickly. She took care of him, she kept their family together and at some point, Katara became his mother in a way. She had to suffer and was forced to leave her childhood behind. And now... they were living in the lands of people who took their mother and ruined their lives. He was serving the family who attacked their Tribe. 

“Am I betraying our people? Would mother be disappointed? Am I disrespecting our dead?” 

“Oh, Sokka, no.” Katara placed her other hand on Sokka’s, too and held his hand between hers tightly. “You know that’s not true.” 

“But--” 

“Do you think Prince Zuko is anything like Ozai or Azulon?” 

Sokka thought about the story Mina told him this morning. He thought about Aang’s smile when he was training alongside Zuko. He thought of Zuko’s smile when they were sitting so close to each other under soft lights in the izakaya. 

“No.” 

“Me neither.” She said softly. “I have never met him but I trust Aang’s judgement. And I trust yours, too. I understand you. Sometimes, it feels that way for me, too. Being here... surrounded by Fire Nation people and traditions. But Sokka,” she squeezed his hand, “we are changing the world. We are trying to heal the wounds opened by generations before us. You are not protecting the people who killed our mother. You are protecting our hope. Fire Lord Iroh ended the war. Our people no longer sleep with the fear of a surprise attack. And Aang believes Zuko will help us to heal the world even more. We need him alive. And you are making sure of it.” Despite the unshed tears in her eyes, she smiled. “I think mom would be so proud of you for allowing yourself to move on and showing enough maturity and wisdom to protect the hope for our future.” 

“Mom would be so proud of you, too, Katara.” Sokka whispered softly. Katara smiled, closing her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks and her right hand softly touched her necklace. 

Sokka knew it was bad news when he came face to face with Hya first thing in the morning. That wasn’t unexpected, to run into the older woman during his shift. Mostly because she was his superior and she was always supervising her guards. While Sokka admitted that she was a great boss who took her job seriously, there was something terrifying about her. 

She stopped him before he could follow Mina to Prince Zuko’s chambers. Mina gave him a tired shrug and left him behind with Captain Hya. Now she was standing in front of him and instead of saying anything she was eyeing him with those sharp eyes of hers. 

“Good... morning?” Sokka grinned at her awkwardly. Hya sighed. 

“I will need you to take over the night shift tomorrow.” Sokka wasn’t expecting this, maybe Hya firing him because he sneezed in front of the Crown Prince (which was stupid, people sneeze, that’s a thing!) or she found out Sokka was gossiping about the Prince with Mina yesterday but not this. Was he even in trouble? Was she mad? 

“Okay?” It sounded more like a question and Sokka wanted to kick himself. He had to be more confident and professional than this. “Am I in trouble? Will I not work with Mina anymore?” 

“No, no, you aren’t in trouble and Mina is still your partner. It’s just for one day. And after that I will give you a break.” Hya’s eyes softened. “You don’t have to accept it but Wuan’s son is sick and he won’t be able to take the night shift tomorrow. I need a replacement. I was going to assign another guard but... night shifts are important for the Crown Prince. And I trust Mina more than you but she won’t be available tomorrow.” 

“Why?” Hya’s face hardened. 

“That’s none of your business.” Sokka winced slightly. 

“Sorry.” He wasn’t sure why the night shift was such a big deal, maybe because most assassins would attack during the night and Hya wouldn’t trust anyone who wasn’t already working for the Prince? “I am okay with it.” 

“Are you sure?” Hya raised a questioning eyebrow. Sokka shrugged. 

“Sure. It’s important. I hope his son gets better.” Hya gave him a rare pat on the back which improved his mood immediately as he walked toward the Prince’s chambers. He was glad he accepted it, especially since it helped Wuan and his son. 

Also, what could go wrong? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I know people say 'bless you' in English when someone sneezes but... I went for something similar to Shatam Jeevah from Hindi. That's just my personal choice.  
> *Malina and Igaluk are from an Inuit legend, I am not an expert tho I hope I didn't make a mistake  
> *Since we don’t have banishment in this story, I changed the story of Zuko’s scar and everything but basically Ozai is still an asshole nothing changed there


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I want to continue this story but this chapter was already written so here we go  
> Also ao3 being weird and added this chap twice god knows why

Contrary to the popular belief, Sokka was used to getting up early. Yes, he complained a little bit and he was moody for the first 2 hours after waking up but he still managed to get up early every day without a problem. And this didn’t start with his new job, Sokka would get up early during his childhood to go fishing with his dad or when they were rebuilding their tribe. After coming to the Fire Nation, his sister and Aang would often leave the house very early and one thing that was stuck with Sokka, even after the war ended, was being a light sleeper.  So, despite the sudden opportunity to sleep a little longer, he woke up pretty early again. He turned around to bury his face into his pillow but he knew it was useless. Once he woke up, it was almost impossible to go back to sleep especially after his body adjusted to waking up around this time. He stretched with a lazy yawn and walked toward the kitchen.

Katara was trying to fit several scrolls in her bag when he entered the tiny kitchen. Aang was already gone and there were two empty bowls on the table. His sister looked up at him.

“Good morning.” She said way too cheerfully for that time of the day. “I left some gruel for you.”

“Thanks.” Katara wasn’t the best cook in their little group but Sokka learned his lesson when they all started traveling together. He wasn’t going to be a jerk to his sister. And she actually improved in the last 2 years. Since Aang was getting older, he tried to help Katara and share the responsibility. Sokka called him out for trying to impress his sister but in the end, he was forced to learn his way around the kitchen as well. Plus, he wasn’t going to pass up free food.

“Aang is at a meeting with the Fire Lord, maybe you will see him today.”

“I doubt so.” Sokka said as he sat down and picked up his spoon. “I am taking the night shift today.”

“And here I thought you were being late.” Katara grinned at him, tossing her bag over her shoulder.

“Nope.” He filled his mouth with porridge. “I am working tonight and I have the day off tomorrow.”

“Well, good for you.” She placed a soft kiss on his forehead before walking toward the door. “See you tomorrow then.”

“Bye.” He looked down at his bowl with a frown and sighed. Maybe he should have gone back to sleep but he didn’t feel like it. He was worried, he never needed to work late at night before. And now he was awake at this god-awful time, way too early to do anything interesting. Well, all he needed to do was to get through tonight and he would get his rest tomorrow. 

He just hoped he wouldn’t fall asleep tonight. 

He didn’t. But it was a big struggle as he tried to stop himself from yawning. The hallway was lit by fire torches and with the full moon casting a lovely light all around them, at least he didn’t have to be paranoid about every movement in the shadows. Sokka couldn’t believe it but night shifts were worse than his regular shift. Who could have thought that spending your every day in a boring, dusty library could be exciting?  Well, at least he got to look at Zuko then. How his hair fell into his eyes and how he bit his lower lip with a slight frown sometimes. Those were the good times, not standing in front of a door for hours without seeing anyone else other than his partner, Zina. But Zina was more of a stone statue than a person, honestly. Yes, they were advised by Hya not to speak unless it was necessary and Sokka did understand her point when she told him they can’t have any distractions but they were standing in front of those damn doors for hours, no one was around and the prince was sleeping. Would it really hurt to say a word or two? 

Once again, Sokka wanted to slap himself for wishing for some action. Maybe he should send more open and detailed wishes to the universe because his idea of action was the prince waking up in the middle of the night and going to the kitchen for a midnight snack or something. That was what Sokka would do. But instead, he heard a crashing sound and silent mumbles coming from the inside all of a sudden. His sleepiness was abandoned quickly, his eyes were wide open and alert. He looked at Zina. She was the one who was used to late-night assassination attempts, right? She would know what would be the best plan. But Zina didn’t look as surprised or worried as Sokka was which made him want to scream at her because their whole purpose was to protect the Crown Prince and the Future Fire Lord from assassinations and that’s exactly what it sounded like. However, as Sokka thought before when he was thinking more clearly, night shifts were her thing and Sokka needed to trust her confidence.

“You go inside.” She pointed at the door with her chin calmly. Sokka frowned at her, suspicion planting its seeds in his chest. 

“And why am I going inside alone?” Not that he minded fighting anyone alone, Sokka had no problem with that. He wasn’t afraid and his confidence came from  Piandao , not from arrogance this time. This was his job and he would do anything to protect the prince but he couldn’t understand the logic behind Zina’s words.

“Because I am a woman and he couldn’t be... you know, decent. It’s usually Wuan who goes inside when something like this happens.” Sokka was about to mention that in the case of possible assassination, a naked Prince would be the least of their worries but Zina acted faster. “It’s safe, trust me. This happens a lot. I need to go and inform the Fire Lord.”

“Are you sure it’s wise to inform him without knowing what’s happening?” Sokka questioned, his hand reaching for the door as they heard another crashing sound that was followed by a whimper. 

“We are under strict order to inform him whenever... this happens.” With that, she quickly walked toward the end of the hallway. Sokka took a deep breath, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword despite Zina’s claims and he opened the door. It was dark except for the moonlight coming from the open balcony doors. That was problem number one; the balcony doors always had to be tightly closed and locked whenever the Prince was going to bed.  It took him a second to realize that he didn’t need to enter the Prince’s bedroom because he was here in the entrance.  He could see the moonlight making his bare back look even paler, his messy dark hair was a deadly contrast against the skin. He was on his knees in front of the balcony doors, shaky hands wrapped around his throat almost desperately as he was leaning forward, broken glass shards were surrounding him.

“Uhm... Your Highness?” He could see the Prince’s muscles tighten under his pale skin, he flinched violently, turning his head to look at Sokka over his shoulder. His usually lifeless and dull expression was replaced by something wild... a raw emotion that was deepened by the frown as his red-rimmed eyes met Sokka’s. He didn’t think, and in his defense, in that moment Zuko didn’t look like his boss, he didn’t look like a monarch or royal, he didn’t look like the heir apparent. He looked like Aang when he found out what happened to his people, he looked like Katara during the anniversary of their mother’s death. He looked like someone who was deeply hurt and needed a friend.

Sokka dropped on his knees next to him, hand letting go of the hilt of his sword.

He could see Zuko’s struggle to control his emotions, bury them deep inside as he usually did during the day when he was covered with luxurious silk and hair perfectly made. And Sokka wanted him to stop, desperately needed him to stop because it was so  _ tiring _ . It was so tiring to see someone play a part in a game that was their life all the time. It was so tiring to look at Zuko and see nothing but void. He couldn’t even imagine what it was like for Zuko. Once Mina mentioned to Sokka that the Prince had quite the temper. Sokka has never witnessed it and a part of him was disappointed because Zuko was trapped in this royal show and it was like everything that made him who he is once was getting erased one by one to turn him into the perfect  heir.

“What are you doing, bursting into my room without my permission?” His voice was hoarse and deep, he was forcing himself to sound normal and strong. Sokka unsurely reached forward, a shaky hand placed on the Prince’s broad yet pale shoulder. He froze under Sokka’s touch. But Sokka didn’t pull back and the Prince didn’t push him away. He didn’t move or even look at him, dark hair covering most of his face as he turned his eyes away from the Royal Guard. 

“I am sorry.” He softly muttered, he wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for bursting into his room even though it was what Zina told him, or because Zuko was going through something terrible that was destroying him from inside and Sokka didn’t even know or could understand it fully. 

That’s when he realized the blood smeared on his cheek. His hand that was pressed up against his throat was bleeding and he couldn’t see it in the darkness but he was sure there was also blood on his scar, too. 

“What can I do for you?” He whispered softly. He didn’t know how to deal with people when they were in a vulnerable state, it was his sister’s forte. 

“Talk.” Zuko hissed, pressing his fingers into his injured palm. “Distract me.”

“Oh, well...” Because Sokka was good at talking, he talked a lot. Sometimes Katara would yell at him to stop because he would always have something to say. But now, when he needed that skill the most, he couldn’t find anything to say. His mind was blank, like a clean, empty canvas. “Umm, you know, I am friends with Aang. The Avatar! Your student. Is he your student? Or do you have a different term for that position in Fire Nation?”

“Aang?” Sokka hit the gold because instead of giving him an annoyed look, Zuko looked confused. In the best way possible. Sokka could do that, he didn’t know being a guard came with a side quest like this but he could definitely distract the Prince.

“Yes. You know him, obviously.” He grinned. “He is actually dating my sister.”

“You have a sister?” Zuko’s face softened at the mention of Katara. Sokka knew Zuko had a sister, too. He heard the stories. He wasn’t sure what happened between them but he knew she was away. There were whispers about ‘healing’ and ‘unstable’. Sokka didn’t want to know what the warmongering genocidal former Fire Lord did to his children.  It was probably worse than all the scary stories parents told to children back at home. 

“Yes! Her name is Katara. She is a master waterbender. Like you. But of course, you are not a  waterbender , you are a  firebender otherwise it would be really awkward for you to be the prince of the Fire Nation.” Sokka laughed weakly. He deserved a credit though, he was trying.  “That’s actually why I came to the Fire Nation; she wants to become a healer, a fully trained healer with a certificate that could be acknowledged by all the nations. I followed her here... hoping that I could find meaning in my life, too.”

“Did you?” Zuko’s voice was soft and vulnerable, a part of him that he could only allow himself to show in the darkness of the night. He looked tired under the silver light of the moon. Sokka felt an unusual heaviness in his chest like a hand was grabbing his heart painfully. His chest tightened as he looked at Zuko’s softened features; he looked soft, scared, and vulnerable. He was just a young man, like him. Like Katara, like Aang. They were all so damn young to fight a war that was started by previous generations.  Zuko still had his own battles to fight, he was going to become the Fire Lord. At the age of 19, he was expected to carry the burden of a war-torn nation and become the scapegoat of his forefathers’ cruelty. Sokka felt annoyance for a moment, he didn’t care all the logical reasons behind Iroh’s decision, how could he expect a hurt and abused child to carry that burden without suffering mentally or physically?

Sokka understood the reality of his job even better now. Mina’s words were enough to open his eyes before but here, right now, he did understand why it was so important to him as well. 

He looked into Zuko’s golden eyes that looked dark grey in the darkness and smiled softly. 

“I think I did.” His voice was barely higher than a whisper but it was still firm. This was a surprising discovery to him as well. He just felt the trueness of his words alongside Zuko. Sokka really believed that he was meant to be here. He was meant to play this role to protect the future of the world. It was an unexpected but honorable role to play. 

“I...” Zuko cleared his throat, looking around the room to gather his thoughts like the right words were hidden somewhere around them. Now it was his turn to distract. “I am actually working on a law. Not for now, of course, but when I become the Fire Lord... to regulate the practice of modern medicine, to encourage the medical physicists.”

“Oh.” Sokka was surprised by Zuko’s openness. The Prince shrugged uncomfortably.

“I also want to regulate the pricing of medicine, so that everyone in our nation can receive the treatment they need. This became a real problem during the war.”

“Oh.” Sokka said again, he was smiling playfully this time. “So that’s what you are doing all the time, hidden behind those doors.” Zuko slightly frowned at him with confusion. Sokka could see him relax as their conversation moved forward. “What else are you planning to do? You work all the time! This can’t be the only thing on your mind.”

It was hard to be sure in the darkness but Sokka could swear he saw the faint blush on Zuko’s tear-stained cheeks. 

“I have some ideas.” He admitted softly. “Lowering the taxes for farmers to support agriculture because we have several towns that are far away from the capital and suffered the worst during the war and I can’t have our people starving under our rule.” He huffed annoyedly. “My father’s reign was the worst for commoners. He raised the taxes for them while he basically pardoned the nobles, especially those who openly supported the war. To receive more support, more weapons and warships, he made common citizens suffer. I want to go through all the laws that put into force since  Sozin’s reign.” He frowned again. “He changed so many things, erasing and rewriting the history as he desired. Some of the best parts of our culture destroyed under his rule. My father and  Azulon neglected hospitals and orphanages during their time to focus on industrialization. We have to go through our budget and see what we can do all over again.” Sokka watched him sigh tiredly. “There are so many things to do; we were great inventors once, before my family went crazy with their hunger for more power... I want to support them again. Not only from Fire Nation but all around the world. I want to bring back literature and poetry. People don’t only need to work and survive, they have to enjoy life, too. Those are the best parts of our culture; we gave up on them in favor of raising soldiers.”

Sokka watched Zuko with wide eyes as the young prince shrugged bitterly. He looked vulnerable again, the sadness that surrounded him the first time they saw each other as Zuko and Sokka (not as  _ Lee and Sokka _ ) was apparent again. 

“I don’t know.” He whispered softly. “I want to be good... for my people. I want to be a good leader. And I guess I am scared. I don’t want to make mistakes. And I know I will make them. Because that’s all I ever do.” He laughed bitterly. “My forefathers devastated and ruined this world, they brought so much pain to everyone, including our own people. I can’t be like that. I don’t want to.” He looked down at his hand that was clenched into a fist on his thigh. “I don’t think I am the right person for the job. It requires so much delicacy, understanding, patience, and skill and I have none of them.” He suddenly looked up to meet Sokka’s eyes. “I promised myself one thing,” he said firmly, his handsome features were hardened with determination, he looked like that strong-willed prince again, “those assassination attempts, those threats... I won’t allow any of them to stop me. I won’t let the price of my actions stop me from doing what’s right for the world.”

He looked down again, almost ashamed of the open passion of his words. Sokka reached forward and placed his hand on Zuko’s. A part of him needed Zuko to understand how much his words meant to Sokka. And how much they would mean to people around the world.

“I am from the Southern Tribe.” He said quietly. Zuko looked at him with surprise clear on his face but the softest smile appeared on his lips and actually reached his eyes.

“I know.” And it was so simple yet so meaningful. He remembered Sokka. He remembered their first encounter. He remembered what Sokka told him. But this wasn’t the time to dwell on it. “What I mean is... I firsthand experienced the pain and suffering your forefathers unleashed on the world. ” Zuko flinched slightly but didn’t pull his hand away. “But I am here today and it feels so crazy. Growing up, Fire Nation was the location of my every nightmare, every horror story of my tribe. But now... I see a different side of Fire Nation.” He looked into Zuko’s eyes intensely. “I look at you and understand why. Whatever your father saw in you that made him hate you is actually what this world and your nation need right now. It’s what will make you a great leader. And that thought gives me so much hope.” He smiled softly, Zuko was looking at him with unshed tears in his wide eyes. “That’s the meaning I found here.”

Zuko opened his mouth, struggling to find the right words as the door suddenly opened. Sokka flinched away, dropping Zuko’s hand. They turned around to see who entered the room and the second his blue eyes landed on the Fire Lord, his crown shining under the moonlight, he stood up quickly and bowed. Sokka felt uncomfortable under Fire Lord Iroh’s heavy gaze, he was looking at them both strangely. Sokka cleared his throat awkwardly and walked toward the door, bowing to Iroh again as he muttered a quiet ‘Your Majesty’. A part of him felt uncomfortable and guilty as he closed the door after himself. He didn’t know much about Fire Lord Iroh but he listened several people, including Aang, praise the old man. Yet, since Sokka learned Zuko’s history with his family, it felt wrong to leave him alone with one of his family members, especially when he was in a vulnerable state. That was his protective side speaking, of course, the one that worried about Katara and Aang despite both of them being master benders and fierce warriors. He sighed tiredly as he took his place in front of the door again, without meeting Zina’s eyes. 

She pushed the wooden door open after taking a suspicious look over her shoulder and walked inside. Her dark cloak was tightly wrapped around her strong body. She reached up and pushed the hood back as the door closed after her with a thud. Inside the inn was lightened by fire torches on the wall, several people were sitting on different tables, drinking and chatting. She walked around in a knowing but uncomfortable manner. She looked almost timid. 

“Mina!” She turned around to look at the middle-aged man who waved his hand at her. She walked toward their table; fingers wrapped around the fabric of her cloak tightly. “Come, sit with us.”

“I don’t have time.” Her face hardened. “Where is my father?”

“Zen? There.” The man pointed at a table at the far end of the room with his glass. “He’s waiting for you.”

She nodded at him quietly and walked toward her father’s table. He was a tall man with long dark hair and dark brown eyes. He was handsome once. Until his life had been turned upside-down and he stopped taking care of himself. His entire being was revolved around this anger and desire for revenge now. Nothing else mattered. He was talking to another man with a grin on his face. The moment he noticed his daughter, his eyes lightened up and he gestured her to sit next to him. She did without saying anything.

“See you later, Juan.” The other man nodded at him and Mina before leaving the table. Her father turned to her and smiled. “My beautiful daughter! It’s been so long. Good to see you.”

“Hello, dad.” She muttered softly, eyes barely meeting his. He didn’t seem to mind, his large hand covered hers on the table. “Sorry, I was really busy.”

“Oh, yes.” Zen nodded. “Life at the Palace is hard.” His hand tightened around hers. “But you are here now. That’s what matters.”

“Is it time?” She asked, finally raising her head to meet her father’s eyes. The older man nodded, reaching for something under the table. 

“Yes. You will give this to Ruva, the one who works in the kitchen. He will know what to do. You don’t have to do anything else.” He opened a small bag and pulled out a tiny bottle. He placed the dark bottle next to her hand. She almost flinched back. Her father’s eyes softened.

“Mina. I know.” He sighed. “I know you have a soft spot for him. I know he seems nice and everything. But I hope you won’t disappoint me.” His eyes hardened and his soft expression that made him look younger once disappeared as his eyes landed on his daughter. He was that cold, hatred filled ugly man once again. There was nothing beautiful on his face. “But his family destroyed ours. And he will destroy everyone even more if given the chance. We can’t let him sit on the throne. You have to save our family. Save our country.” He pushed the bottle toward her. She looked down at it with worry shadowing her face. Her frown deepened as she lifted a shaky hand, reaching for the bottle. “Take the poison. End this shameful period in our history.”

Her fingers tightened around the bottle.

When Sokka finally returned home early in the morning, it was empty and honestly, that was a relief. After that bizarre night, Sokka didn’t feel like talking to his sister or Aang. Especially Aang with his bright smiles and desire to start a conversation. He had a terrible headache and even his hunger couldn’t stop him from going straight to bed. So, when he woke up 5 hours later when the noon sun was shining brightly, he felt an almost unbearable hunger. The inside of his mouth felt like rusty metal. He sat on the kitchen table with a glass of water and a sour expression because he didn’t feel like preparing late breakfast (or lunch?) for himself. He could barely remember the nightmare he had; him falling asleep during his shift and waking up to find Zuko dead in his room with a slit throat. There was too much blood and he felt numb. The nightmare woke him up before he could fully rest. He felt inner fever, his eyes were burning and he just sat there without moving until he heard someone knocking on the door. 

He groaned annoyedly and stood up. If it was Aang who forgot his keys, Sokka was going to complain for the next 10 minutes. However, when he opened the door, he came face to face with a palace guard. Not one of the royal guards but a regular palace guard. Sokka’s first instinct was to close the door and hide. He didn’t even have the power to worry about committing a crime or doing something wrong. He just didn’t want to deal with whatever problem brought a guard to his door.

“Royal Guard Sokka?” The other man asked. Sokka nodded tiredly. “I hope I am not bothering you but if you are available, the Fire Lord wants to see you today.”

“The Fire Lord?” Sokka felt wide awake all of a sudden. He probably had a scared expression because the palace guard spoke again quickly.

“He told me to tell you that you are not in trouble and this is not an order. He just invites you to drink tea.”

“To... drink tea?” What kind of bizarre dream his sleep-deprived mind was showing him exactly? Guard nodded.

“If you accept the offer, I will accompany you to the palace.” Sokka wasn’t sure if he could decline Fire Lord’s ‘invitation’ and still work at the palace or even live to see another day. He sighed tiredly and nodded at the guard because, honestly, what other choices he had?

Fire Lord Iroh was... short. That was the first thing Sokka noticed when he saw the old man wrapped up in royal robes stood in front of him with an inviting, warm smile. Last night, he didn’t really have time to take a better look at the Fire Lord but now that they were standing together under daylight, Sokka was surprised. Zuko was tall and lean and had sharper features while Iroh was short, chubby, and had softer features. He also had a warm presence where Zuko oozed coldness despite being a  firebender . 

Sokka didn’t know much about politics but he knew that people like Iroh could easily fake kindness to manipulate you to their will. He didn’t want to let his guard down. He bowed respectfully and waited patiently as Iroh eyed him thoughtfully.

“You must be Sokka.” He said eventually. Blue-eyed boy nodded simply and stood straight. Iroh invited him to sit with him as he poured hot jasmine tea to two cups. Sokka patiently waited for Iroh to question him about last night as he sipped the tea. What was Iroh going to ask him? Why was he sitting on the floor with his nephew and holding his hand like they were lovers? How could Sokka act so disrespectfully around a member of the Royal Family? 

But Iroh didn’t ask anything about that while they calmly sipped their tea. 

“I  believe you are from the Southern Water Tribe ?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” He answered calmly, eyes not meeting Iroh’s. Old man hummed softly. 

“I know your father. We met several times in the past 9 years, alongside Avatar Aang.” He placed the cup on the table between them and offered Sokka a mochi. “As the culprit of your sufferings, Fire Nation offered financial support and men power to Southern Water Tribe after the war and as the Chief, your father was a part of every meeting.”

“I remember that.” Sokka said, chewing his mochi thoughtfully. “I was a little kid when your men arrived at the Pole with benders from Northern.”

“Your father told me all about restoration projects. And how much you helped him.” Iroh smiled softly. “It’s an honor to meet a young genius like yourself.”

Sokka gulped, a soft blush appearing on his cheeks.

“Uh, thanks.” He nodded at Iroh respectfully. “It’s an honor to meet you as well.”

“It hurts me to see young people like yourself carrying the weight of our mistakes, especially mine.” He shook his head with a pained expression. “I know dwelling on the past doesn’t solve anything, and we should always move forward if we want to honor and make sense of our past, that’s what I always tell Zuko, but a part of me always wishes I opened my eyes a lot sooner.” Sokka had nothing to say to that, he didn’t know what he was supposed to say. He still struggled to understand the Fire Nation Royal Family. They were so different from the families in the South. “But it also gives me hope to see great minds with good hearts of your generation carrying the torch for the future of this world.”

“Like your nephew?”

“Him, too.” Iroh agreed, his eyes lightening up with pride. His smile didn’t drop but his eyes were saddened with the mention of Zuko and a part of Sokka was more interested in talking about Zuko than past and war. Could anyone blame him? Zuko was prettier and he didn’t bring back any painful memories .  “Zuko thinks he won’t make a good Fire Lord but,” he looked up to meet Sokka’s blue eyes, “who would make a better leader for our nation than someone who burnt for his people?”

_ Burnt for his people _ .

Sokka wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean. He knew Iroh was referring to Zuko’s scar and Sokka knew that  Ozai burnt Zuko when he was a kid but what did it have to do anything with his people? He was confused yet it was a sensitive subject, how could he ask the Fire Lord about his nephew’s most traumatic experience? 

“I don’t know the Crown Prince that well.” He said carefully. “But I can see his desire to help his people. I can see his goodness. I think all he needs is confidence. Everything else that he needs is already in his heart.”

Iroh chuckled softly.

“You are a wise young man, Sokka.” Water Tribe boy smiled at the Fire Lord almost shyly. Iroh’s expression softened. “My nephew is lucky to have you by his side.”

And it felt like a blow because Sokka was smart enough to see the playful look on Iroh’s face. The old man wasn’t even trying to hide it. And somehow it made Sokka feel conflicted. Was he playing with Sokka? Why was he encouraging this Water Tribe boy who was serving as a Royal Guard to flirt with his soon-to-become-the-Fire-Lord nephew?

Sokka cleared his throat and met Iroh’s eyes. 

“I think the Fire Nation is lucky to have him.”


End file.
